In a new post to his blog Marco Tabini offers some quick advice to younger developers looking to make their mark in their profession (PHP-related or not). He shares five tips to keep in mind as you hone your process and write your code.

Every now and then, I get asked by developers who are just getting started in the trade if I have any suggestions to help them out - favourite language, tips and tricks, and the like. None of these things matter, really, but there are a few things I wish I had known when I started out that have nothing to do with the mechanics of software development.

His tips each come with a paragraph or so of explanation:

• Be humble
• There is no magic
• Programming is a craft, not an art
• Software solves problems
• Code doesn't leave sawdust